Fish hook safety device

Abstract

A fish hook safety device to safely and securely hold a hook whether single or gang while the hook is attached to a fishing line or stored in a tackle box for later attachment and use. The device has a sloping interior surface defined by the frustum of a right cone. The barbed and pointed ends of a hook rest on the sloping surface. The device accommodates a variety of hooks of different sizes and shapes.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A fish hook safety storage device capable of housing a treble hook, comprising: a container having an open end for receiving a fish hook and a partially closed opposing end;   the interior surface of said partially closed end sloping from the exterior periphery of said container's partially closed end towards said open end to define an open ended frustum of a right cone with its smaller open planar end substantially parallel to said open end of said container and positioned approximately midway between said container's open end and said opposing end of said container; and   a cover adapted to close said open end and restrain said hook within said container.   
     
     
       2. A fish hook safety storage device as recited in claim 1 wherein said container is cylindrical. 
     
     
       3. A fish hook safety storage device as recited in claim 2 wherein said cylinder has a longitudinal slot extending radially from the exterior wall through said interior surface to the center of said cylinder. 
     
     
       4. A fish hook safety storage device as recited in claim 3 including retaining means connected to said container for removably attaching said device to a fishing rod. 
     
     
       5. A fish hook safety storage device as recited in claim 4 wherein said interior surface includes longitudinally disposed, arcuately spaced flanges extending from said interior surface towards said open end to define pockets into which the hook tips may be placed, the flanges restricting rotational movement of the hook. 
     
     
       6. A fishing device capable of housing a treble fishing hook, comprising: a unitary body member having a substantially longitudinal axis with three body lobes extending radially from said axis at substantially equal angles relative to one another, and having a longitudinal slot in said body member extending laterally from the outer wall surface of said body member substantially to said axis and sized to enable the shank of a treble hook to be inserted through said slot substantially to said axis;   at least one of said lobes defining a radially disposed pocket extending longitudinally from a first end of said body member into its respective lobe and configured to house a separate hook of said treble hook; and   a cap pivotally mounted to one of said body lobes to pivit between an opened position and a closed position and adapted to retain said hook in said body member.   
     
     
       7. A fishing device as recited in claim 6 in which one of said body lobes comprises radially extending arcuately spaced substantially parallel flanges defining said slot between said flanges. 
     
     
       8. A fishing device as recited in claim 7 in which the radially inner end of each said pocket is a sloping surface sloping outward from said first end. 
     
     
       9. A fishing device as recited in claim 8 in which said pocket surface is a frusto-conical surface. 
     
     
       10. A fishing device as recited in claim 9 including a longitudinally disposed flange attached to the exterior wall surface of said body member between two of said lobes, each of which lobes have a said pocket, the exterior wall surface of said flange being concave in transverse section to fit against a cylindrical fishing rod. 
     
     
       11. A fishing device capable of holding a treble fishing hook, comprising: a housing having a concentric longitudinal axis and logitudinally disposed side walls enclosing said axis; said housing being open at a first end and having a bottom surface at its other end, said bottom surface either slopes inward from the periphery of said other end towards said axis and said first end;   a longitudinal slot in a said side wall extending the length of said housing and penetrating said housing including said bottom surface in a radial direction substantially to said longitudinal axis; and   a closure member pivotally mounted on said housing to pivot between an open position and a closed position and configured to close said open end of said housing when in said closed position.   
     
     
       12. A fishing device as in Claim 12 in which said side walls define a cylinder whose longitudinal axis is the longitudinal axis of said housing, and said bottom surface defines the wall surface of a right angle conical frustum whose base is at said other end. 
     
     
       13. A fishing device as recited in claim 12 in which said closure member includes a substantially circular cap. 
     
     
       14. A fishing device as in claim 13 in which said cap has a longitudinally extending skirt along its periphery configured to cover said slot in said side wall when in said closed position. 
     
     
       15. A fish hook safety device capable of housing a treble hook, comprising: a cylindrical, hollow body member having an open end and a closed end, and having a longitudinal slot extending radially from the outer wall surface of said body to its longitudinal central axis;   the inner surface of said closed end of said body member sloping from the periphery of said closed end towards said central axis and said open end to define the surface of a frustum of a cone whose upper end is substantially parallel to the ends of said cylinder and positioned between said ends;   a cap hingedly attached to said outer wall of said body member, said cap including a disc portion to cover said open end of said body member and a semicircular skirt depending from the periphery of said disc portion positioned to cover the exterior of said body member including said slot;   two arcuately spaced protrusions on the interior surface of said semicircular cap;   two arcuately spaced notches in said exterior wall of said body member positioned to engage said protrusions in a locking manner upon closure of said cap;   a second open ended cylinder penetrating said closed end of said body member, said second cylinder being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said body and located midway between the wall of said body member and said longitudinal axis;   a laterally bowed, elongated member for removably attaching said device to a fishing rod, said bowed elongated member fixedly attached along its convex surface to said body remote from said slot and said semicircular skirt; and   said outer wall having a notch on said body periphery at said open end and located radially in line with said second cylinder.   
     
     
       16. A fish hook safety storage device, comprising: a container having an open end for receiving a fish hook and a partially closed end;   said partially closed end being a planar wall extending radially from the exterior periphery of said closed end towards the longitudinal axis of the container to a point intermediate said exterior periphery and the longitudinal axis of said container, and a second surface sloping from said intermediate point towards said open end to define a frustum of a right cone with its smaller planar end substantially parallel to said open end and positioned intermediate said open end and said partially closed end;   a longitudinal slot extending radially from the exterior wall through said partially closed end to said longitudinal axis of said container; and   a cover adapted to close said open end and said slot.   
     
     
       17. A fishing hook safety storage device as recited in claim 16, further comprising an elongated member adapted for removably attaching said container to a fishing rod, said elongated member connected to the outer surface of said container remote from said slot.